| Chapter 9 Back at the hotel, after the sound check, Lance and Joey decided to do some exploring, one because Lance wanted to find Val, and two because Joey was hungry.� After walking around for a while, Lance heard some yelling, so he dragged Joey along to investigate.� Lance stopped short after rounding the corner near the main dining hall, where he saw a young man, a little older than him, with Val by the shoulders, yelling at her.� Lance?s eyes went wide with fear as Joey came up behind him. "You lying little bitch!� You are such a whore that you can't even tell me the truth." he spat at her, raising his hand and slapping her with such a crippling blow, that she fell to the ground, banging her head to the wall.� She groaned and Lance couldn't take it anymore.� Though Joey tried to hold him back, Lance raced down the hall to her side, where the man was still yelling at her. "You leave her alone!" Lance yelled out, surprising himself not to mention the man and Valencia. "Who's this Cia?" the man laughed, "your new boyfriend?" He smiled a wicked grin at Valencia's crumpled position, then turned toward Lance.� "He doesn't look so tough!" He raised his arm, and cocked it back to punch Lance, but Lance, being the quick thinker he is, ducked and fired back with a blow of his own, straight to the man's jaw.� The man cringed in pain and fired again.� This time as Lance went to dodge it, the man's ring caught his jaw, cutting his lip open widely. "You bastard!� You have the audacity to enter my new milieu and tell me how to live, who to love?!� That's both asinine and absurd!" Valencia yelled at him, using the wall for support, and climbing to her feet.� "Now if you don't mind, I have a new life, a new job, and a new love, so take your polemic, apathetic ass and get out of my life!" she screamed reaching for Lance. "You heard the lady.� Now have a nice trip. . ." Lance kicked his ankle, causing him to stagger, "see you next fall," he continued kicking him in the butt, "and don't let the lobby door hit you in the ass on the way out!" He finished, pushing him down the hall, passed Joey, who punched him, giving him an eye to match his jaw.� "Are you alright?" Lance asked helping her to her feet as she stumbled again. "Who was that guy?" Joey asked, walking over to the two of them standing in the hallway.� "He doesn't seem like the type you'd actually hang around with.� He's so . . ." "Aggressive?" Val finished for him, turning to make sure Joey hadn"t taken a blow from him too.� "He has to be.� It's his job." She stated concisely checking out Lance's lip. "What do you mean it's his job?� What's he . . . ah. . ." Lance winced as his lip's cut widened as he spoke. "Shh . . ." she said, leading him toward the kitchen.� "That was Gator Gletty, my ex-fiancee.� He still thinks I was playing him with Sam Martin.� I was young and foolish to ever let him think he had the upper hand with me.� Now he thinks he can run my life." "Gator, huh?� Well, he doesn't anymore." Joey laughed as he flexed his knuckles.� "I don't think he'll be back for a while." he smiled at his own corniness.� Val continued to dab an ice pack on Lance's lip, and offered one to Joey for his hand.� Lance smiled, leaning forward and almost pressed his cut up lips to hers. Joey cleared his throat loudly, and the pair jumped back quickly.� 'I think we better head back.� Don't want the guys worrying about us, now do we, Lance?" Joey joked, hopping off the table he'd been sitting on, "plus, I never got the food I wanted.� I think I'm gonna find Brittney and order room service and a movie, if ya know what I mean, wink, wink." Val laughed.� She immediately got what he was talking about.� Lance, on the other hand, didn't.� He gave her a dazed look and half a shrug.� "Come on, Lance.� Let's go see what everyone else is doing, and leave Joe and Brittney to themselves." she smiled, and pulled Lance toward the elevator, leaving Joey to find Brit. Chapter 10 On the way up the elevator, Lance casually put his arm around Val?s waist and pulled her closer to him.� When they got to the third story, the elevator stopped, and before they could get out, the rest of 'N Sync, minus Joey, who was still looking for Brittney, got in. "Hey Lance, Val!" Justin grinned from golden hooped ear to golden hooped ear. "Hey Justin.� Wazzup guys?" Lance questioned, they were way too cheery to be getting called to work. "Oh, nothing.� Just that Derrick broke his arm, so we have off until they find a replacement, or `till he's better!� We're going out to eat and clubbing to celebrate.� Wanna come?" J.C. tentatively filled in the befuddled couple.� "By the way, where's Joey?" � Lance looked pleadingly at Valencia.� "Sure!� IF you can get me in.� And, Joey's downstairs looking for Brit." Val answered, squeezing Lance's hand. "Well, you know what that means," Chris laughed, "but I guess we better ask him anyway, in case he hasn't found her yet." They agreed and continued on to the lobby.� For dinner, they choose J.C.'s favorite, the Hard Rock Cafe and chatted all through dinner.� Lance learned a lot about Val and she learned what she didn't already know through interviews. Chapter 11 After dinner, they chose to party at 'Horizons' since it wasn't really packed, and they had a smaller chance of getting recognized.� Once inside, they laughed and joked around a bit, and Val even teased Joey for mooching on every girl within a twenty feet radius.� They were pretty much all sitting around talking, except for Joey, who was dancing with some red head, and Justin who was dancing with a curvy blond, when Chris looked up and a wave of fear hit him.� J.C. caught this change and looked at what Chris had been staring at and his jaw dropped. Standing not twenty feet away was Chris's ex-girlfriend, Heather, and her new boyfriend, Kevin, and they were yelling back and forth about something.� Kevin yelled something, and Heather turned away.� When he went to say something else, she yelled at him and ran out the door.� Chris jumped up, and before Lance or J.C. could stop him, he was out the door.� Quietly, he caught up with Heath and sat on the beach near the club with her. "What does he think he's doing?!" J.C. yelled out as soon as Chris ran out after Heather.� "She left him for Kevin, and the minute she fights with Kev, he rushes off to help her." "J.C., the man's in love, leave him be.� If it gets him off our case, let him go." Lance spoke up on Chriss behalf.� Val laughed at the two men's older friend and their explanation of his behavior. Kevin noticed J.C. and Lance and walked over to talk to them.� After all, him and J.C. were good friends. "Hey Kev," J.C. started, "what happened?" "Oh, I don't even know.� Some fan asked me to sign her cd a little while ago, and I asked for her name, you know, the usual, and she got pissed saying that I'm always frickin` flirting with fans and when I tried explaining, she ran off." Kevin explained glancing toward the door.� "She's so. . . so . . . so immature!� Ugh!� If Chris wants her, he can have her, I'll see you guys later." Kevin finished waving and walking out. As soon as Kevin left, Lance laughed, "she acts just like Chris, no wonder he's in love with her.� They make a perfect couple." J.C. and Val caught on to what he was saying and they laughed for a good five or six minutes before Lance asked Val to dance and J.C. got himself another girl and ordered another shot. Chapter 12 Meanwhile, outside, Chris got Heather to just stop crying, when Kevin walked over to the couple.� Chris's heart leapt up into his throat, he could fight, but not someone as big as Kevin. "If you want her back. . ." Kevin began, as soon as he got within ear range.� Chris's mind told him to tell Kevin to make it quick if he had to fight for her, just knock him out and leave without the girl.� "You can have her.� It was fun while it lasted, Heath.� I'll see y`all around," was what Kevin said though, catching Chris AND Heather off guard. As Kevin walked off, Chris yelled, "thanks man!� I won't soon forget this, you could've slaughtered me!" Kevin just laughed, and kept walking. "So, Miss Heather, what happened between you and Mister Train, anyway?� I mean, him and yourself seemed pretty upset." Chris stated quietly, trying to be comforting without being prying. "Well, as usual, Kevy got recognized by a few female fans, you know how that goes.� Well, he was signing CDs and stuff, as normal, but he started flirting with this older fan, right in front of me." Heather explained, gesturing with her hands as if that would make it any clearer that she had been jealous of the fan. "I see," Chris kept it concise, sounding professional as possible and trying not to laugh.� He knew that with guys, they often flirted without noticing, and that Heather normally made something out of nothing and got jealous easy. "Ugh!� You are just like the whole damned species!" Heather yelled standing and walking toward her apartment.� She didn't have a car, she preferred walking. "What?!� What are you talking about?!" Chris cried, running after her.� 'She is so confusing,' he thought. "I pour my heart out to you, and all you can say is 'I see'!" Heather yelled as she started walking faster. "Wait a minute, wait a minute!� I was keeping it concise, Heather, so," he caught up with her and spun her around, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders.� "So that I don't fall as fast as I did the first time.� I'm already in love with you, I don't need another broken heart." he forced out, his voice softening.� He was so sincere that tears began to fall from Heather's eyes.� He brushed them away gently with his hand.� "I'm so sorry, I. . ." he hated himself for making her cry. "I, no Chris, it's not your fault that I'm crying.� It," she sighed dreamily.� "It's just that I've waited so long to hear those words from someone, that I get kinda upset.� I'm sorry." Heather explained, Chris wiping another stray tear from her big puppy dog eyes. "Love comes to those who still hope although they've been disappointed - to those who still believe though they've been betrayed, to those who still love although they've been hurt before.� You hurt me, but I would go through ten times that right now for you.� I love you Heather Victoria Kou!" "Chris, you don't know how long I've waited to hear those three words from you.� I love you, Christopher Alan Kirkpatrick!" Heather cried, burying her face in his broad, built chest. "You wanna go back inside?� They're probably worried sick about us.� Or, would you, my lady, prefer going for a walk down the beach?" he asked her, bowing gentlemanly. "Let them worry." she replied taking his hand and walking toward the oceanside. Chapter 13 Back inside, the male in *N Sync who was slightly coherent was Justin, who was still too young to drink.� Lance was too, but only by one year, so he was able to get a few drinks, and was exactly less than sober.� They decided it was about time to head back toward their hotel rooms. "Joey, give me your keys!� You're plastered, there is no way I'm letting you drive me home.� I don't need anymore wrecks." Justin explained as he reached for Joey's keys.� Joey pulled away out of Justin's reach.� "Joey!� Give.� Me.� Your.� Keys!" "No way, Just.� It's taken me about two weeks to get this drunk!" Joey fought back his words slurring together and taking on a heavy Italian accent. "Joey," J.C. spoke up.� "We haven't been here for two weeks yet.� It's only been about two, two and a half, two and a half hours." he finished, stumbling through his words from the liquor. "We haven't?� But that chick told me. . . are you sure J.C.?� I think you're lying to me?" Joey asked, getting into J.C.'s face.� He pushed Joey back down.� Justin finally wrestled Joey's keys away and dragged him toward the door and out to his mom's Acura. Chapter 14 Chris and Heather are sitting quietly watching the stars. Even though they aren't talking, the silence is not unwelcome.� Chris and Heather's friends thought that the break-up was inevitable because they hardly spoke, but they knew better.� Their break-up was not because of anything one of them did, but because Heather developed a crush on Kevin and thought that he'd be better than Chris.� She soon found out that they didn't have as much in common as she liked to exaggerate.� Chris didn't care though.� He loved her, and no matter what his friends thought, did, or even said, he was willing to do anything to get her back.� She loved him, but she was so scared that he wouldn't commit, after all, she was his longest girlfriend at four and a half months.� Chris had no idea that she was feeling this.� He wanted her to be open with him, but sometimes he just couldn't hold still or was busy.� That, and she was scared that if she told him, he wouldn't trust her and leave.� She couldn't be more wrong. "Heather?" Chris asked, breaking the silence.� "What happened between us?� I mean, I thought we were perfect, then I find out you're leaving me, and for Kevin of all people, Kevin.� Why him?" Heather sighed, but it was not a deep healthy sigh, it was ragged and sharp, repressed.� "Chris, I was scared you wouldn't commit, so I stared hanging around Kevin to see if I could trick you into thinking I liked him.� Then, I realized, well, actually, I thought that him and me had more in common than we did, so when he asked me out, I left you for him.� It was a stupid thing for me to do, I know, but he seemed so nice.� I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you.� I was so stupid." she finished, falling back onto the sand.� Burying her face in her hands, a single salty tear ran from her blue lined eyes to her cheek.� Chris leaned down gently and kissed the tear away leaving her face warm.� Gently, he leaned in closer and put his arm around her waist.� She hugged him back and breathed in his scent.� It was heavenly.� Of coarse, their moment had to be ruined by Justin and the rest of the guys from inside.� But, Chris was so happy that Heather came back with him.� Everyone could see how much happier he was her back. Val, after only a few days of knowing saw a serious change in him. "Hey C.K.!" Justy yelled, pausing to make sure they weren't doing anything he didn't want to see.� Chris turned around slowly, and flashed him a grin. "Hello, Justin." Heather smiled blissfully. "Heather!" Justin pretended to be surprised to see her.� The true is he wasn't at all.� He and Chris talked a lot and he knew that if Heather didn't come back, Chris would find someway to make her. "Oh my Goodness! Heather!" Valencia yelled.� The guys looked at her oddly. "You know her?" Justin asked incredulously. "Yeppers!" Heather and Valencia answered at the exact same time, laughing.� The guys looked at each other curiously.� Lance just shrugged. "Heather and I used to run errands together.� I haven't seen her since I started jamming.� God, girl, I've missed you so much." Val said holding Heather at arms length then hugging her.� The guys smiled and dragged the girls toward the car. Chapter 15 "So, Heath, how long you been knowing these clowns?" Valencia asked as she piled into Mrs. Fatone's Acura. "She knows us three days and she's already calling us clowns. . .geez!" Justin cracked. "Shuddup Curly Q. Just about four years." Heather shrugged as she slid all the way over in the seat and positioned herself between Chris's legs on the floorboard. "Ouch!" Justin laughed as he started the engine. "Four years?!?!" Valencia exclaimed from her seat in between Lance's legs. "Yep, yep, yep!" Heather said squeezing Chris?s calf.� "I was friends with them before you left to jam.� That was before I started dating Crazy K here." Chris leaned down and hugged her. "Wow. How do you do it?" Val laughed as she snuggled against Lance's calf. "A healthy dose of insanity." Heather replied as she leaned back and rested her eyes. Chapter 16 Justin drove them back to the hotel and led Joey and J.C. upstairs.� Lance helped Valencia upstairs and Chris and Heather stayed in the lobby. "Are Lance and Cia 'a thang'? If not, they would look so cute together." Heather said, pulling Chris seductively toward the little bar in the hotel.� She kissed him forcefully as they took a seat on a sofa in the bar.� He kissed her back as he pulled her into his lap. "They are 'a thang'," he mocked her.� She giggled settling into his lap. Back upstairs, Lance and Valencia finally got a chance to sit alone and talk.� For three days now every time Lance got a chance to kiss Val something stopped them.� This time Lance was determined not to be interrupted. "Valencia," Lance turned her to face him. "Yes, Lance?" Valencia looked into his beautiful green eyes. Justin knocked on the door, but before Val could turn to face him, Lance pulled her in and kissed her deeply.� Justin peeked in, but quickly shut the door laughing to himself. "Way to go, Lance." Justin laughed as he made his way back to his room. Although the end, this was just the beginning of their "Kiss To End It All." THE END!!! |
| " A Kiss to End it All" Part Two |
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| I know, you don't have to say it, it's sappy crap. I need to rewrite almost the whole thing. Why don't you email me and tell me what you like about it? Or even better, find my guestbook link, and put it in there. . . You'll probably be the first one! No one loves my poor guest book. :( *Weyrd Kat* >*.*< |
| WRITER/EDITOR Note at bottom! |